Sunday, October 23, 2011

This weekend we went backpacking on the Appalachian Trail - or AT for those in the know.

If you're not a backpacker, please think about going for a 12 mile hike... and now think about going for that same 12 mile hike with a 40-lb pack strapped to your back. Now think about that same hike - and think about climbing up to 1,200 feet with that same 40-lb pack on your back.

We hiked from Kent, CT to the Cornwall Bridge - up in the mountains with the beautiful fall foliage just beginning to change -

and along the Housatonic River.

We camped two nights at the AT marked campsite along the trail. I changed from my SmartWool hiking socks to my handknit sleeping socks.

And even with a temperature range of 49-65 degrees, I wore shorts the whole weekend.

Of course I brought some knitting. In fact, in my endeavor to help my sister and go through my yarn stash, I found some wonderful sock yarn called Birch that was a gift many moons ago. I brought it along as I thought it was the perfect sock yarn for the AT.

Oh, you probably can't see it in that picture since it's so well camouflaged against the birch tree.

Finally, this morning around 12:30 we left the AT and took the descent trail down to Cornwall Bridge - with the final section alongside the road.

It was a very successful weekend and we all had a blast.

Next year, I think I'll hit the treadmill a month solid before the trek - and program some very steep inclines into the workout. Oh, and I should probably strap on that 40-lb backpack for the dress rehearsal.

Friday, October 21, 2011

I used leftover Paton's Classic Wool Merino (NO SUPERWASH WOOL!) as I have tons leftover from my felted bag days in 2004-2005.

If you're going to make some cat nip mice for the cats in your life, Christine offered her finishing tips:

I put the catnip in a piece of pantyhose so it is contained and to be honest I have not measured it. I use some poly stuffing in the nose and put the catnip mostly in the back end of the mouse. Before I felt, I do french knots for eyes, sew on a few stitches for the little pink nose and thread through some whiskers (after felting). Sew up the bottom and you are good to go.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

If you were to poll my family and close friends, they would all tell you that I like to help others. I always have. It's a big part of who I am. In fact, yesterday at a very sad funeral, BF, MIL and I were talking about what's on our bucket lists. Of course, I have some of the traditional items - travel; watch my kids grow to be happy and successful in life; grandchildren, and retirement somewhere fun with BF - but high on my list is to help others in a permanent meaningful way. I might have to win the lottery to fulfill that wish! But I do like to help people. So it was easy when Christine sent me a pattern in the mail with a plea to help her knit some Catnip Mice

Christine sent me these cute pictures of last year's mice.

She asks that her friends each knit 3 mice in worsted wool (Lamb's pride, Cascade 220, Classic Wool Merino) and send them to her.

She'll embellish, felt, stuff, sew, and add eyes and whiskers.

Once they're done, she sells them to collect donations for her two favorite cat charities. It's part of her annual cat food drive for the kitties she loves so dearly.

Many of you know that for several years I have been donating both time and resources to The Stratford Cat Project (SCP) www.stratfordcatproject.org and FeralCare Inc. www.feralcare.com. In addition to holding my annual holiday cat food drive, I would like to donate all the money from the sale of hand knit catnip mice to these very worthy organizations. All money will go directly to help the 81 cats currently housed by SCP and the monthly low cost spay/neuter clinics run by FeralCare. Last year, I sold 57 mice to my colleagues at the high school, earning $285.00 for the organizations. The mice are so popular that after they sold out, I had to feverishly make more before holiday vacation!

I am asking if each one of you would knit at least three catnip mice with the enclosed pattern. It does not take very much yarn (about 20 yards) and is a good use of some scrap yarn that you may have. The only requirement is that it be 100% wool so it can be felted. I will take care of the felting, stuffing with catnip, sewing and embellishing with eyes, nose and whiskers. I just need the mouse “bodies” knitted. If you need yarn, please ask me; I have plenty to spare.

If you choose to contribute your time and talent, please have the mouse “bodies” to me by Thursday, December 1st. I really appreciate your help with this. If you have any questions, please contact me. Thanks again for sharing your gift with some loving and deserving felines.

What a great project! You get to use up your odds and ends of leftover 100% wool and help kitties at the same time. What could be better? And because we like Christine so much and respect anyone who knits to raise money for their favorite cause... Wilma is going to put your name in the raffle for some yarn (and other goodies for every 3 mice you knit and get to Major Knitter before December 1st. (Comment or email me for mailing info). Plus - for everyone who donates mice, I'll donate some cat food in your name.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

My sister Ellen got her first check today and wrote this note to me and to all of you who have helped so far:

Dear Jennifer,

How do I thank you and Gary and all of your amazingly generous knitting friends for rallying around our family as we put our home back together from the Missouri River flood? You have been my steady rock as we could do nothing but wait and watch through June, wait through July, wait through August, wait into September and then begin the demolition and recovery journey. I am so overwhelmed by the magnitude of what it takes just to return tonormal that thinking logically and communicating clearly are not my strengths right now. Thank you for filling in the gaps and being the voice of clarity!

The gift that you and your friends have given us will make returning to live in the half of our house that is livable much nicer as it will make it fresh and beautiful with new carpet! I have made an aggresive goal of being able to move in by Christmas! (okay, some decisions are still powered by emotion!) I don't know if that is practical with the drying out time frame...but you have inspired the painter in all of us to press on! Although I may have to send the kids to Grandma's as they really do want to "help" paint!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Thank you all for your generous support of my yarn sale to support my sister. I really can't thank you enough for all your generosity. It means so much to me.

But I thought I should give you an update. Ellen went to the local Menard's and looked at carpet (as all the carpet in the house has been removed due to the flooding). She was suffering some pretty major sticker shock when she got the estimate.

Won't she be surprised when she gets the check in the mail today?! Everything that's been received to date has already been sent to her. And there's still more coming in.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

I really cannot thank you all enough for your generosity and kindness toward my sister. The yarn sale to help her rebuild is going very well. So well in fact, that I get to offer you some more yarn and patterns.

Cynthia of Knitting Central has offered any donor a free house pattern when you purchase my yarn. If a house pattern is not the right fit for you - she also has the perfect eye to offer you suggestions for patterns that would work with the yarn you purchase. She has plenty of her own patterns plus some of Trish's Tanglewood Fiber Creation's patterns (for that amazingly luxurious cashmere). I'll send her the list of donors and then you can email her directly to request your pattern. She's such a good friend and I really appreciate her help! What a blessing.

Another friend Ellen G. (not to be confused with my sister Ellen) has more yarn than she knows what to do with. So she really didn't need to buy any new yarn, but wanted to help out. She looked through her own yarn stash and donated this lovely luxurious yarn for the sale. Ellen lives in a smoke free house and has one hypoallergenic dog.

Same rules apply - please leave me a comment or email me - and I'll send you the details. I'll pay for first class USPS shipping and will ship ASAP upon receipt of payment. I can't thank you enough for your help in my endeavor to get Ellen and her family back into their home.

The sale begins on October 11 and runs for ten days or until I'm sold out. You'll get a discount on the yarn and I'll even include the first class shipping charges (to United States addresses only). Please leave a comment telling me which yarn you'd like to purchase. It will be sold on a first come first served basis (so if you comment first - you'll have first choice). Once you've made your offer - I'll edit this post to reflect the changes and availability of the yarn that's left.

This is a Win-Win Situation. You get some fabulous new fiber for your stash - and you help me help my sister.

Disclaimer - All yarn is from a smoke-free house with one wild, wacky and completely lovable Wilma the Wonder Dog (English Bulldog). My yarn is stored in my Knit Nook on the shelves like a knitting store.

All proceeds (100%) will go to help my sister Ellen, her husband, their three children (ages 8-11), one dog, one cat, and one tadpole, make the basic (and I mean basic!) repairs to their flood ravaged home so they can move back into their home as soon as possible.

Whew! That was a great deal of work to post all of this yarn. It was really hard to go through my yarn stash and find some gems I thought you would like to purchase - and that might actually make a difference. Some yarns are very hard to part with. But I'm so devastated by my sister's plight, that I really want to be able to make a difference. When I think of it that way, it's easy. I really appreciate your help with my efforts to get Ellen's family back in their home. I hope that what you knit with this wonderful yarn will bring you much happiness knowing it's going to a good great cause!

Friday, October 07, 2011

Thanks for all your great messages and suggestions for ways I can help my sister and her family. I really appreciate all of it - especially the positive thoughts and prayers. Many of you emailed me with suggestions you have seen work elsewhere - yarn sales, ebay auctions, selling a Major Knitter designed pattern, etc. I like ALL the ideas. I'm going to get organized this weekend and start my official fundraiser on Tuesday (because Monday's a holiday).

I thought that in an empathetic gesture, since Ellen has to purge her household goods, I would likewise take this opportunity to purge my yarn stash - giving you the opportunity to get some fabulous yarns (and I mean FABULOUS) at great prices while helping me help my sister. BF is going to help me figure out how to post the yarn for sale (although I might just do that directly on my blog).

I'm also going to see if I can write up my favorite hat pattern (yet unpublished) for sale. I'll call it the Sisterly Solidarity Hat. All proceeds will go to help Ellen and her family.